“Atomic Integration,” A Photography Exhibit on African-American Life during the Manhattan Project Opens February 23

You are viewing ARCHIVED content

This content was published online before January 20, 2025. Please note that this content is NOT UPDATED, and links may not work. For current information, visit https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/news/index.htm.

Citizens conducting business at a post office, 1940s

News Release Date: February 8, 2017
Contact: Frank Graham, 423-569-9778
Contact: Christopher Derman

In honor of Black History Month the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce will be hosting “Atomic Integration,” a photography exhibition focusing on African-American life during the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The month-long exhibit will open on Thursday, February 23 with a reception starting at 4:30 pm (ET). The photo exhibit is sponsored by the National Park Service, Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, and Explore Oak Ridge.   

The images displayed in the photo exhibit illustrate the experiences and contributions of African-Americans during the Manhattan Project period during the 1940s in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Often overlooked in our remembrance of one of the world’s largest scientific undertaking that produced the atomic bomb are the works of a people who, in spite of discrimination, met the challenge and changed the course of history. 

The photographs were taken by James Edward Westcott, a renowned photographer who worked for the United States government in Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project and the Cold War. Westcott was one of the few people permitted to have a camera in the Oak Ridge area during the Manhattan Project.

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is located at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN. For more information please call Manhattan Project National Historical Park at 865-567-6767.

Tags: black history month, ww ii, manhattan project, oak ridge

RSS Feed | What is RSS?